Maine

Federal Policy Efforts (State-specific)

Cooperative Fund of New England

The Cooperative Fund of New England (CFNE) is a forty year-old CDFI that is using HFFI financing to increase healthy food access in New England and eastern New York State through the Healthy Food/Cooperative Communities initiative, which combines financing, development services, technical assistance, and data collection and measurement to increase low-income consumers' utilization and membership in co-ops. To supplement its HFFI financing, CFNE launched its Food Cooperatives and Healthy Food Access program (FCHFA) to help food co-ops better serve low-income communities. CFNE partnered with Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA), a regional food co-op association, to document food co-op programs in this area, promote their efforts, and support them in innovating and expanding healthy food access for local food insecure households. Since 2011, CFNE has financed $3.6 million in loans to nine HFFI-eligible food co-op projects, for their development and expansion around low-access communities throughout New England, including the Good Tern Food Co-op in Rockland, ME. You can find more information here.

Source of money: HFFI CDFI-Financial Assistance Program

Coastal Enterprises, Inc.

Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) is using HFFI financing to support its Rural Healthy Food Access initiative. With this support, CEI assisted independent grocers and food hubs across Maine and New England. CEI is also using HFFI-CED funds to support the Maine Healthy Food Development Fund, a revolving loan fund that finances and provides workforce assistance to four Maine businesses. Each of the businesses supported by the loan fund is located in or serving a food desert or an area without access to healthy food. The businesses will include two retail stores, a vegetable processor, and a significant agricultural producer. The initial loans will serve a project area comprised of four communities, which together have poverty rates higher than the state average. As the fund revolves, it will be available to serve additional food deserts and will provide financing and assistance to other food retail outlets, farmers, and food distribution businesses. This project will create 40 full time jobs, provide job-specific training resources for workers, and provide funding for project management and technical assistance. You can find more information here.

Source of money: HFFI CDFI-Financial Assistance Program

Note: CEI is a CDFI headquartered in Maine that is working throughout New England.

MaineStream Finance

MaineStream Finance is a non-profit CDFI dedicated to economic development by providing credit, capital and financial services that are often unavailable from traditional financial institutions. They provide personal finance, home loans and business services to people in Maine who might otherwise have limited financing and credit. They are using HFFI to support projects that increase access to healthy, affordable food in communities that currently lack these options through the Healthy Foods Options program. The program supports healthy food growers, producers and small retailers serving the 17 food deserts within Penobscot, Piscataquis, Knox and Waldo counties in Maine. You can find more information here.